Guide frame for storm window, window screen, or like inserts



GUIDE FRAME FOR STORM WINDOWS, wINDow SCREENS oR LIKE INsERTs E. S. LEAcY Filed Aug. 17, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l Iazveizoaf: v Entge sfleacgp &4M

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GUI-DE FRAME FOR STORM WINDOWS, WINDOW SCREENS OR LIKE INSERTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 17, 1942 Ecggeme Zeacgj,

atented Feb. 2.2, 1944 GUIDE FRAME FOR STORM WINDOW, WINDOW SCREEN, OR LIKE INSERTS Eugene S. Leacy, South Portland, Maine, assigner to The Burrowes Corporation, Portland, Maine, a corporation of Maine Application August 17, 1942, Serial No. 455,066

7 Claims. (Cl. 160-184) My present invention relates to novel guide frames for attachment to window casings to receive such inserts as panels, storm sashes, or window screen sections.

The difficulty of installing and removing window screens and storm sashes is widely recognized as is the problem of their storage between seasons. There is accordingly areal need for a frame that can be used for window screen sections, as wel1 as for storm sashes or other inserts, such as blinds and blackout panels, and that permits the inserts to be installed or removed from the interior of the building.

'In accordance with my invention. I provide a frame that may be easily fitted and attached to a window casing to establish an attractive and weather tight support for the inserts. The frames comprise top, bottom and side members. The top and bottom members each have a ange for attachment to the casing and a ange to overlie the top and bottom margins of the inserts. The side members constitute channels the middle portions of the inner walls of which are open to permit the inserts to enter the channels and to be slid upwardly, or downwardly into their desired position and the outer walls of which establish flanges to overlie the margins oi the outer face of the casing.

I form the bottom member to establish a seat for the lower insert and the side members present a seat to support the upper insert. The seats are disposed to ensure that marginal portions of the inserts overlap and in accordance with my invention the inserts are resillently urged into tight contact with the frame and with each other.

Frames thus made are capable of being installed in weather tight relation to the casing and of supporting the inserts tightly enough to make them well adapted for use with storm sashes and blackout panels. In addition, the frames are proportioned to be concealed from the interior by the ings:

Fig. 1 is a view of an installation along the lines I-I of Fig. 2, showing a frame and supported inserts asV viewed from the interior of a room. Fig. 2 is a section along the lines 2 2, of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows the installation of Fig. l along the lines 3-3, of Fig. 1 with the lower sash raised.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section along the lines 4 4, of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 shows a typical window screen section.

Fig. 6 ls an enlarged fragmentary view along the lines 6 6, of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the seat for the lower insert, and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged partly sectioned view showing the details of the frame construction and the seat for the upper inserts.

I have shown in the drawings a typical window casing I in which window'sashes 2 and 3 are conventionally mounted. l

To support a pair of inserts, such as storm sashes generally indicated at W, window screen sections indicated at S, or the like, I provide a frame consisting of top, bottom, and side members generally indicated at A, B and C, respectively.

The frames are adapted to support a pair of inserts. While I have shown these in Figs. 1 through 4 as storm window sections W, the inserts may be screen sections S as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, or blackout or like panels. The inserts are ofthe same thickness so that they may be interchanged, and are of suicient length so that they marginally overlap when installed in the frame.

-The top memberA consists of a strip of stock i bent to establish a flange 4 for attachment to the top part of the window casing I and a depending flange 5 laying substantially in the plane of the outer face of the window casing i and preferably overlying the margin of the sides thereof.

The bottom member B, in accordance with my invention, consists of a strip of stock marginally bent to establish a flange '6 for attachment to the sill Ia and marginally bent to provide a seat 1 flanged as at il. (See Figs. 1 and 7.) The bottom member B is of sulcient height to oilset the increased area of the window casing ex- -teriorly of the sashes 2 and 3 resulting from the slope of the sill la.

I form each of the side members C from strips of stock bent longitudinally to establish a U- shaped channel defined by th'e inner wall 9, the outer Wall I0 and the wall II through which the side members C are tightly attached to the sides of the casing I. In practice, the outer wall I0 is rst bent oppositely to the inner wall 9 and then bent upon itself to establish an integral flange I2 to marginally overlie the outer faces of the sides of the casing I. The upper ends of the side members C are covered by the ends of 'in the form of bow-shaped springs I9 y the lower insert againstthe support D and the upwardly or downwardly into desired position.

As shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the channels are wider than the combined thickness of both the inserts and to provide a seat for the upper insert, I mount in each of the side members C a support generally indicated at D. Preferably the supports D each comprise a strip of suitable stock bent to establish a U-shaped filler I4 extending from the sill la to a point adjacent the upper end of cut-out I3 with one of its walls terminating in a laterally disposed flange Il dis-- posed in contact with the wall II and anchored conventionally through it to the sides of the casing i. I provide the blanks from which the supports D are formed with tabs bent over the opening defined by the U-shaped filler Il to establish a seat I8 for the upper insert.

The supports D are disposed between the bottom member B and the outer wall III of the side members C so that the seats Il provided by the supports D and the flanged seats 1 provided by the bottom member B establish offset compartments generally indicated at I1 and I8 to accommodate the upper and lower inserts (see resilient members 2). attach to the inner walls 9 which urge upper insert against the outer wall I I of the side members C. Preferably I locate a spring I9 in each side member C below the cut-outs Il and a spring I9 in each side member C adjacent the upper end thereof and provide a spring I8 in each side member C just above the cut-outs I3 in order that it can also urge the overlapping margins of the inserts into contact. I also form the flange 8 of the bottom member B to resiliently engage the bottom margin of the lower insert.

In use, the frame is installed in the window casing I and because of its construction it is adapted to be substantially weather tight relative to the window casing I. A top insert is then fitted in the cut-out Il from the interior of the room and slid upwardly until the springs I9 urge it outwardly in which position it is maintained by the supports D. A lower insert is then fitted in the cut-outs Il as indicated in Fig. 2, and slid upwardly until it is entirely within the channels presented by the side members C. The lower insert is then slid downwardly into contact with the seat 'I presented by the bottom member B. The lower inserts have lifts 20 to facilitate their raising.

As the upper compartment I1 is of suillcient width to accommodate both inserts and as the inserts are always engaged by the springs I9, the lower insert may be raised into any desired position to ensure suitable room ventilation even though all windows are provided with storm windows. Ii' desired, only the bottom window section W may be replaced by a screen section S thereby making it possible to minimize storage problems.

It will be noted that the frame members A, B and C are proportioned in relation to the frame of the windows 2 and I to be concealed thereby as much as possible when viewed from the interior of the room and that the frame does not detract from the appearance of the window when viewed from the exterior, so that frames in accordance 'with my invention are admirably adapted for use with all types of inserts and minimizes problems attending their installation, removal and storage.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A guide frame for attachment to a window casing to support within the opening defined by the window casing a pair of inserts substantially identical in size such as solid panels and storm window or window screen sections, said guide frame comprising a top member to be attached to said casing to establish a top seat and a downwardly disposed flange, a bottom member to be attached to the sill of said casing, the upper part of said bottom member being oifset to establish a seat interiorly of the plane of said bottom member, a pair of side members including channel portions, the outer walls of which include flanges to overlie the outer face of said casing and to be sealed by the ends of said top flange and the inner walls of which are open intermediate their end portions to slidably admit said inserts endwise into said channel portions, the inserts being slldable either upwardly in the channels or downwardly against said seats, said inserts when seated against the respective seats, overlapping at their adjacent, marginal portions, a pair of second side members in said channel portions located against the outer walls of said first side members and resting upon said bottom member and presenting a seat for an insert in contact with the top seat, and spring members supported by the inner walls of said first side members urging said inserts when positioned against said seats against the outer walls of said first side members and against said second side members.

2. A guide frame for attachment to a. window casing to support within the opening defined by the window casing a pair of inserts substantially identical in size such as solid panels and storm window or window screen sections, said guide frame comprising a top member to be attached to said casing, said member including a downwardly disposed flange, a bottom member to be attached to the sill of said casing establishing a seat above the sill, a pair of side members to be attached to the sides of said casing, said side members including channel portions, the inner walls of which are open intermediate their end portions to admit the ends of said inserts endwise into said channel portions, said inserts being slidable either upwardly or downwardly, said channel portions presenting a seat to support an insert in desired relation to said top member, said inserts when contacting their respective seats, adjacent marginal portions thereof overlap, and spring members supported by the inner walls of said channel portions urging said inserts when seated against the outer walls of said channel portions and the overlapping margins of said inserts into mutual contact. A

3. A guideframe for attachment to a window casing to support within the opening defined by the window casing a pair of inserts substantially identical in size such as solid panels and storm window or window screen sections, said guide frame comprising a top member to be attached to said casing, said top member including a downwardly disposed flange, a bottom member to be attached to the sill of said casing to establish a seat above the sill, a pair of side members to be attached to the sides of said casing; said side members each comprising a strip oi' stock bent to establish a U-shaped channel portion the outer wall ot which presents a ilange to overlie a margin of the outer surface oi' said casing and the inner walls of said members being open intermediate their end portions ,to slidably receive said inserts endwise into said channel portions, said inserts being slidable upwardly or downwardly in said side members, means in said channel portions to establish a seat to support an Ainsert in desired relation to said top member, said inserts being oi' such a length that when each is in contact with its seat marginal portions overlap, and spring members supported by the inner walls of said channel portions urging said inserts when seated against the outer walls or said channel portions.

4. The guide frame of claim 3, the seat estab lishing means in the channel portions comprising a pair oi' strips oi' stock each bent to establish a U-shaped portion and a ilange extending laterally or the U-shaped portion, the U-shaped portion and the flange being of a width to ilt within the channel Portion.

5. The guide frame of claim 3, the seat establishing means in the channel portions comprising a pair of strips of stock each bent to establish a U-shaped portion and a ilange extending laterally of the U-shaped portion,-the U-shaped prtion and the ilange being of a width to nt within the channel portion. and the strip being formed with a tab ioldable over the upper end of the U-shaped portion.

6. A guide frame for attachment to a lwindow casing to support within the opening defined by the window casing a pair o! inserts substantially identical in size such as solid panels and storm window or window screen sections, said guide frame comprising a top member to be attached to said casing, said top member including a downwardly disposed flange. a bottom member to be attached to the sill oi' said casing, said bottom member comprising a strip or stock bent marginally to establish 'a ilange to engage with the sill, and a flanged seat engageable by an insert, a pair fot side members to -be attached tothe sides ot the outer walls of said channel portions.

7. A guide frame i'or attachment to a window casing to support within the opening defined thereby a pair o! inserts substantially identical in size, such as solid panels. storm window or window screen sections,` said guide frame comprising a top member, a bottom member and side members, said bottom member comprising a seat for one insert. the side members comprising channels, the inner walls or which are open intermediate their end portions to facilitate the entrance of said inserts into said channels and the outer walls oi which include flange portions to overiie the margins of the sides of said casing.

' at least the upper part ot said channels beins adapted to accommodate both inserts, and resilient means urging said inserts against the outer walls of said side members and supporting the lower of said inserts in any vertically adjusted` position.

yEUGENE B. LEACY. 

